If the issue is unfair treatment of persons - especially racial minorities - the examples abound - here and around the world. Females, you might have noticed, are also subjugated here and around the world. But for those who want to improve police conduct and relations, it is time to focus on proposals. How many residents of Mountain View, Palo Alto and Menlo Park even know when officers must wear and use body cams and what happens when, after an event, no recording is found or available? How many city councilmembers in these cities have even those answers? Maybe a few will be asking. There is a saying I like. Think globally - act locally. No one can instantly change the whole world - except to destroy it. But steps in the right direction can be taken. And to determine the right direction, people need some basic information about - as to force used by police - what rules and practices exist and why.

Well lucky locally the police departments here and around us have been so progressive in use of body cameras, car cameras and training that when they hear about "change" they respond with, "Yeah, ummm didn't we do that like five years ago?" But there is no dialog or critical thinking by those yelling for change saying, "Oh, thats great! We'll take our message elsewhere."

In every industry around the world there are bad employees, mistakes or issues. But we should really not lump one incident against the whole profession. What you'll see down the road is even greater problems when police departments can not find qualified people because who is going to want to work in an industry that no one respects until someone is breaking into your house.

How does "Kevin" (above) know anything about the use of recording devices by local police? The Mountain View police department has a policy manual online. Section 449 deals with recording (including body cams). It generally directs officers to turn on cams if not "impractical" when dealing with the public. Officers are counseled to not record other conversations between and among police. So, for example, using the incident in Buffalo where a 75-year-old protester was knocked to the ground, under Mountain View policy, body cams should have been on - but, if not on or kept, oh well. Maybe a reprimand for violating policy. As to the conversation between and among police in Buffalo leading to the false or misleading report that the man tripped, that separate conversation would not be subject to recording. And even determining whether the police have one or more video or audio recordings of an incident can be quite a project. Ask a newspaper. As to the suggestion of "Kevin" that people may not want to be police officers (if they are subject to firmer rules or accountability), see TransparentCalifornia.com for what they are already paid - often including overtime. You will be astonished.

Thats right. We do not need police. As a resident I welcome robbers any time, we should help less fortunate. So what if he/she takes some things from my home? They need it more than I do.
#nopersecutionofrobbers #justiceforcriminals #communismusa

While I was writing a response to "Kevin" (above), some "Resident" added quite a diatribe. He or she or it says George Floyd was not a good "role model" and much more. The first issue raised by the death of George Floyd is why officers killed him and whether it was and remains common police practice there and across the country to kill people detained or arrested - especially involving a non-violent possible crime and perhaps stemming in part from the race of the detainee. How do we get and keep such officers in these positions of great power? What, if anything, does the killing of George Floyd reveal about the world and our country? Of course, society needs police to deter and stop crimes and to investigate and cite or arrest suspects. Some suspects should just be shot dead. No. I am not kidding. If a guy with an assault rifle is walking toward occupied classrooms at your local elementary school, and does not respond to "stop," somebody better shoot him (or her) - unless there is a better plan in place. And afterward, we will hope the dead intruder was not a plain-clothed police officer rushing to investigate the real intruder. Things can happen fast. Life and decisions must be made. But in the case of George Floyd, there was no emergency or uncertainty justifying the use of deadly force.